The Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount :: :: University of Virginia Library

Imprvdent Peple, Ignorant and blynd,
By quhat reasone, law, or authoritie,
Or quhat attentyck scripture, can ȝe fynd
Leifsum for tyll commyt Idolatrie?
Quhilk bene to bow ȝour body or ȝour kne,
With deuote humyll adoratioun,
Tyll ony Ydoll maid of stone or tre,
Geueand thame offerand or oblatioun.

Quhy did ȝe gyf the honour, laude, and glore,
Pertenyng God (quhilk maid all thyng of nocht,
Quhilk wes, and is, and salbe euirmore)
Tyll Ymagis by mennis handis wrocht?
O fulysche folke, quhy haif ȝe succour socht
Off thame quhilk can nocht help ȝow in distres?

271

Ȝit reasonably reuolfe, in to ȝour thocht,
In stok nor stone can be non holynes.

In the desert the peple of Israell,
Moyses remanyng in the mont Synaye,
Thay maid one moltin Calf of fyne mettell,

Exodi. xxxii.

Quhilk thay did honour as thare God verraye;
Bot, quhen Moyses discendit, I heir saye,
And did consydder thare Ydolatrye,
Off that peple thre thousand gart he slaye,
As the scripture at lenth doith testifye.

Because the holye propheit Daniell

Daniell. .xiiii.

In Babilone Ydolatrie repreuit,
And wald nocht worschip thare fals Idoll Bell,
The hole peple at him wer so aggreuit,
To that effect that he suld be myscheuit,
Delyuerit hym tyll rampand Lyonis sewin;
Bot of that dangerous den he wes releuit
Throuch myrakle of the gret God of hewin.

Behald quhow Nabuchodonosor king

Dan. iii.

Into the vaill of Duran did prepare
One image of fyne Gold, one meruallous thing,
Thre score of cubyts heycht, and sax in square,
As more cleirlye the scripture doith declare,
To quhome all peple, by proclamatioun,
With bodeis bowit, and on thare kneis bare,
Rycht humelye maid adoratioun.

Ane gret wounder, that day, wes sene, also,
Quhow Nabuchodonosor, in his yre,
Tuke Sydrach, Misach, and Abednago,
Quhilks wald nocht bow thare kne, at his desyre
Tyll that Idoll, gart kast thame in the fyre,
For to be brynt, or he sterit of that steid.
Quhen he beleuit thay wer brynt, bone and lyre,
Wes nocht consumit one small hair of thair heid.

272

The Angell of the Lord wes with thame sene,
In that hait furneis passing vpe and doun,
In tyll ane rosye Garth as thay had bene,
None spott of fyre distenyng cote nor goun.
Off victorie thay did obtene the croun,
And wer, to thame that maid adoratioun
To that Ydoll, or bowit thare body doun,
One wytnessing of thare dampnatioun.

Quhat wes the cause, at me thow may demande,
That Salomone vsit none Ymagrye
In his tryumphand Tempyll for tyll stande,
Off Abraham, Ysac, Iacobe, nor Iesse,
Nor of Moyses, thare sauegarde throuch the see,
Nor Iosue, thare valȝeant Campioun?
Because God did command the contrarye
That thay sulde vse sic superstitioun.

Exodi. xx. Deut. v.

Behald quhow the gret God Omnipotent,
To preserue Israell frome Idolatrye,
Derectit thame one strait commandiment,
Thay suld nocht mak none caruit ymagrye,
Nother of gold, of syluer, stone, nor tre,
Nor gyf worschip tyll ony simlytude
Beand in hewin, in erth, nor in the see,
Bot onelye tyll his souerane celsitude.

Baru. vi.

The Propheit Dauid planely did repreue
Ydolatrye, to thare confutioun
In grauit stok or stone that did beleue,
Declaryng thame thare gret abutioun;
Spekand, in maner of dirysioun,
Quhow dede Idolis, be mennis handis wrocht,
Quham thay honourit with humyll orisioun,
Wer in the markat daylie sauld and bocht.

The Deuyllis, seand the euyll conditioun
Off the Gentylis, and thare vnfaithfulnes,

273

For tyll agment thare superstitioun,
In those Ydolis thay maid thare entres,
And in thame spak, as storyis doith expres.
Than men beleuit of thame to gett releif,
Askand thame help in all thare besynes;
Bot, finallye, that turnit to thare myscheif.

Traist weill, in thame is none Diuinitie,
Quhen reik & rowst thare fair colour doith faid:
Thocht thay haue feit, one fute thay can not flee,
Quhowbeit the tempyll byrn abone thair haid.
In thame is nother freindschip nor remaid.
In sic fyguris quhat fauour can ȝe fynd?
With mouth, and eris, & eine thocht thay be maid,
All men may se thay ar dum, deif, and blynd.

Quhowbeit thay fal doun flatlyngis on the flure,
Thay haif none strenth thare self to rais agane;
Thocht Rattonis ouir thame ryn, thay tak no cure;
Quhowbeit thai breik thare neck, they feil no pane.
Quhy sulde men psalmes to thame sing or sane?
Sen growand treis that ȝeirly berith frute
Ar more to pryse, I mak it to the plane,
Nor cuttit stockis, wanting boith crope and rute.

Off Edinburgh the gret Idolatrye
And manifest abominatioun,
On thare feist day, all creature may se.
Thay beir ane auld stock Image throuch the toun,
With talbrone, troumpet, schalme, and Clarioun,
Quhilk hes bene vsit mony one ȝeir bigone,
With preistis and freris in to processioun,
Siclyke as Bell wes borne throuch Babilone.

Aschame ȝe nocht, ȝe seculare prestis and freris,
Tyll so gret superstitioun to consent?
Ydolateris ȝe haue bene mony ȝeris,
Expresse agane the Lordis commandiment.

274

Quharefor, brether, I counsall ȝow, repent.
Gyff no honour to caruit stock nor stone;
Geue laude and glore to God Omnipotent
Allanerlie, as wyselie wryttis Ihone.

Fy on ȝow Freris that vsis for to preche,
And dois assist to sic Idolatrye.
Quhy do ȝe nocht the Ignorant peple teche
Quhow ane dede Image, caruit of one tre,
As it wer holy sulde nocht honourit be,
Nor borne on Burges backis vp and doun?
Bot ȝe schaw planely ȝour Ipocrasie,
Quhen ȝe passe formest in processioun.

Fy on ȝow fostraris of Idolatrye,
That tyll ane dede stock dois sic reuerence,
In presens of the peple, publykelie.
Feir ȝe nocht God, to commit sic offence?
I counsall ȝow, do ȝit ȝour diligence
To gar suppresse sic gret abusioun.
Do ȝe nocht so, I dreid ȝour recompence
Salbe nocht ellis bot clene confusioun.

Had sanct Frances bene borne out throuch the toun,
Or sanct Domnick, thocht ȝe had nocht refusit
With thame tyll haif past in processioun,
In tyll that cais sum wald haif ȝow excusit.
Now men may see quhow that ȝe haue abusit
That nobyll town, throuch ȝour Ipocrasye.
Those peple trowis that thay may rycht weill vs it,
Quhen ȝe pas with thame in to cumpanye.

Sum of ȝow hes bene quyet counsallouris
Prouocand princis to sched saikles blude,
Quhilk neuir did ȝour prudent predecessouris.
Bot ȝe lyke furious Phariceis, denude
Off charitie quhilk rent Christ on the rude.
For Christis floke, without malyce or yre,

275

Conuertit fragyll faltouris, I conclude,
Be Goddis worde, withouttin sweird or fyre.

Reid ȝe nocht quhow that Christ hes gyffin command,
Gyff thy brother doith oucht the tyll offend,

Math. xviii.

Than secretlye correct hym, hand for hand,
In freindly maner, or thow forther wend.
Gyff he wyll nocht heir the, than mak it kend
Tyll one, or two, be trew narratioun.
Gyf he, for thame, wyll nocht his mys amend,
Declare hym to the congregatioun.

And, gyf he ȝit remanith obstinat,
And to the holy kirk Incounsolable,
Than lyke ane Turke hald hym excomminicat,
And with all faithfull folk abhominabyll,
Banysing hym, that he be no more able
To dwell amang the faithfull cumpanye.
Quhen he repentis, be nocht vnmerciable,
Bot hym ressaue agane rycht tenderlye.

Bot our dum Doctoris of Diuinitie,
And ȝe of the last fonde religioun,
Off pure Transgressouris ȝe haue no petie,
Bot cryis to put thame to confusioun;
As cryit the Iowis, for the effusioun
Off Christis blude, in to thare byrnand yre,
Crucifige, so ȝe, with one vnioun,
Cryis fy, gar cast that faltour in the fyre.

Unmercifull memberis of the Antichrist,

Roma. xvi. Ephe. v.

Extolland ȝour humane traditione
Contrar the Institutione of Christ,
Effeir ȝe nocht Diuine punytione?
Thocht sum of ȝow be gude of conditione,
Reddy for to ressaue new recent wyne,
I speik to ȝow auld bosis of perditione,
Returne in tyme, or ȝe ryn to rewyne,

276

As ran the peruerst Prophetis of Baall,

iii. Reg. xviii.

Quhilkis did consent to the Idolatrye
Off wickit Achab, king of Israell,
Quhose nommer wer four hundreth and fyftie,
Quhilkis honourit that Idoll opinlye.
Bot, quhen Elias did preue thare abusioun,
He gart the peple sla thame creuellye;
So at one hour came thare confusioun.

I pray ȝow, prent in ȝour rememb[e]rance
Quhow the reid Freris, for thare Idolatrye,
In Scotland, Ingland, Spane, Italy, & France,
Upone one day wer puneissit pietuouslye.
Behald quhow ȝour awin brether, now laitlye,
In Ducheland, Ingland, Denmark, and Norowaye,
Ar trampit doun, with thare Ipocrasye,
And, as the snaw, ar meltit clene awaye.

I maruell that our Byschoppis thynkis no schame
To gyf ȝow freris sic preheminens,
Tyll vse thare office, to thare gret diffame,
Precheing for thame in opin audiens.
Bot, mycht A Byschope eik tyll his awin expens,
For ilk Sermone, ten Ducatis in his hand,
He wald, or he did want that recompens,
Go preche hym self, boith in to burgh and land.

I traist to se gude reformatione
From tyme we gett ane faithfull prudent king
Quhilk knawis the treuth and his vocatione.
All Publicanis, I traist, he wyll doun thring,
And wyll nocht suffer in his realme to ring
Corruppit Scrybis, nor fals Pharisiens,
Agane the treuth quhilk planely doith maling:
Tyll that kyng cum we mon tak paciens.

Now fairweill, freindis, because I can nocht flyte.
Quhowbeit I culde, ȝe mon hald me excusit,

277

Thocht I agane Ydolatrye Indyte,
Or thame dispyte that wyl nocht ȝit refus it.
I praye to God that it be no more vsit
Amang the rewlaris of this Regioun,
That commoun peple be no more abusit,
Bot gyf hym glore that bair the creuell croun,

Quhilk techeit ws, be his deuine Scripture,
Tyll rycht prayer the perfyte reddy way;
As wrytith Matthew, in his sext Chepture,
In quhat maner and to quhome we suld pray
One schort compendious orisone, euerilk day,
Most proffitabyll for boith body and saull;
The quhilk is nocht derectit, I heir say,
To Ihone, nor Iames, to Peter nor to Paull,

Nor none vther of the Apostlis twelf,
Nor to no Sanct, nor Angell in the Hewin,
Bot onely tyll our Father, God hym self.
Quhilk orisione it doith contene, full ewin,
Most proffitabyll for ws, petetionis sewin,
Quhilk we lawid folk the Pater Noster call.
Thocht we say Psalmis nyne, ten, or alewin,
Off all prayer this bene the principall,

Be reasoun of the makkar quhilk it maid,
Quhilk wes the Sonne of God, our Saluiour,
Be reasoun, als, to quhome it suld be said,
Tyll the Father of hewin, our Creatour,
Quhilk dwellis nocht in tempyll nor in tour.
He cleirlye seis our thocht, wyll, and intent:
Quhat nedith ws at vtheris seik succour,
Quhen in all place his power bene present?

Ȝe princis of the preistis, that suld preche,
Quhy suffer ȝe so gret abutioun?
Quhy do ȝe nocht the sempyll peple teche
Quhow and to quhome to dresse thare orisoun?

278

Quhy thole ȝe thame to ryn frome toun to toun,
In Pylgramage tyll ony Ymagreis,
Hopand to gett, thare, sum Saluatioun,
Prayand to thame deuotlye on thare kneis?

This wes the prettike of sum pylgramage.
Quhen fillokis, in to Fyfe, began to fon,
With Ioke & Thom than tuke thay thare vayage
In Angusse, tyll the feild Chapell of Dron.
Than Kyttoke thare, als cadye as ane Con,
Without regarde other to Syn or schame,
Gaiff Lowre leif at layser to loupe on:
Far better had bene tyll haif biddin at hame.

I haue sene pass one meruellous multytude,
Ȝong men and wemen, flyngand on thare feit,
Under the forme of feynit sanctytude,
For tyll adore one Image in Loreit.
Mony came with thare marrowis for to meit,
Committand, thare, fowll fornicatioun.
Sum kyst the claggit taill of the Armeit.
Quhy thole ȝe this abominatioun?

Off Fornicatioun and Idolatrye
Apperandlye ȝe tak bot lytill cure,
Seand the maruellous Infelicitye
Quhilk heth so lang done in this land indure,
In ȝour defalt quhilk heth the charge and cure.
This bene of treuth, my Lordis, with ȝour leue,
Sic pylgramage heth maid mony one hure,
Quhilk, gyf I plesit, planelye I mycht preue.

Quhy mak ȝe nocht the scripture manifest
To pure peple, twyching Idolatrye?
In ȝour precheing quhy haif ȝe nocht exprest
Quhow mony kyngis of Israell creuellye

279

Wer puneissit, be God, so rigorouslye?
As Ieroboam, and mony mo, but doute,
For wyrschippyng of caruit Imagerye,
War frome thare realmes rudlye rutit oute.

iii. Reg. xiii.

Quhy thole ȝe, onder ȝour Dominioun,
Ane craftye preist, or fenȝeit fals armeit,
Abufe the peple of this Regioun,
Onely for thare perticular profeit,
And, speciallye, that Heremeit of Lawreit?
He pat the comoun peple in beleue
That blynd gat seycht, and crukit gat thare feit,
The quhilk that palȝard no way can appreue.

Ȝe maryit men that hes trym wantoun wyffis,
And lusty dochteris of ȝoung tender aige,
Quhose honestie ȝe suld lufe as ȝour lyffis,
Permyt thame nocht to passe in pylgramage,
To seik support at ony stok Image.
For I haue wyttin gud wemen passe fra hame,
Quhilk hes bene trappit with sic lustis rage,
Hes done returne boith with gret syn and schame.

Gett vpe, thow slepist all to lang, O Lorde,
And mak one haistie reformatioun
On thame quhilk doith tramp doun thi gratious worde,
And hes ane deidly Indignatioun
Att thame quhilk makith trew narratioun
Off thy Gospell, schawing the verytie.
O Lord, I mak the supplicatioun,
Supporte our Faith, our Hope, and Charytie.

FINIS.